


Lycan't

by MedicDuFresne



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch Era, M/M, Technically Lycan but whatever, Werewolf!Jesse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 19:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9139666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MedicDuFresne/pseuds/MedicDuFresne
Summary: Jesse has always had some problems switching back and forth from his wolf form, but that doesn't mean he gets to skip his Overwatch duties.Blackwatch Era McReaper.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my lovely girlfriend <3

Being a werewolf came with certain perks. Shifting into a massive wolf that can stand on it’s hind legs and damn near guarantee scaring the living hell out of anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of his ire was one of Jesse’s many favorite things about being a werewolf. Ok, so maybe “werewolf” wasn’t the best name for the weird magical lineage he had, and if his abuela ever heard him use that term there would be hell to pay for sure, but it was just so much damn easier to use that name.

Technically, Jesse was a lycan. He had the ability to switch back and forth from his human form to his wolf form and wasn’t bound to something so trivial like the phases of the moon. Plenty of lycans got all huffy over being called a werewolf and god forbid you make some outrageous claim like the two were basically the same, or that silver works just as well on lycans as it does on werewolves.

No, the main difference between the two that Jesse had found was that everyone knew what a werewolf was, but no one knew what a damn lycan was; hence him just going by the more well known term.

The other big difference was the ability to change between his human form and wolf form at will. That shit was pretty cool. When he was a kid and got his ass in trouble, he would run away and shift to hide. No one ever looked twice at a shaggy dog pawing through the trash when they’re on the hunt for a delinquent kid. Plus when the rumor spread around that his old gang had a vicious wolf that hunted down their rivals and ate them whole, the hood that Deadlock controlled quieted down a bit. Plus lycans could speak in their wolf form, something their cousin the werewolf lacked.

Unfortunately, his shifting had always been a little on the fritz. Sometimes when he shifted he found it impossible to change back and had to wait it out until his body decided to behave again. His abuela claimed it was just a phase back when he was a teen and everything about his body was changing; but now at 21, he really had no excuse.

And now was one of those times where his own body rebelled against him and refused to change back, the traitor.

Jesse huffs, laying his head down on his paws and staring at the closed door of his quarters. He was missing training practice, something he knew he would put him in the dog house, pun intended. It wasn’t his fault he was missing it though, all the doors on base had these biometric scanners that scanned your fingerprints to unlock the doors. Only the best security for Overwatch. They had never gotten around to registering his paw print as an acceptable print, and while he was certainly strong enough to break the door down, the trouble that he would get in for missing training and damaging Overwatch property far outweighs the benefits of showing up late in his furry form.

Instead he’s left to lay on the floor, his standard issue bed too small for this larger form to fit in, waiting until someone, most likely Gabriel, storms into his room to chew him out for missing practice.

The morning light filtered through his window and warmed his pelt, and Jesse found himself yawning. If he wasn’t going to make it to training, there wasn’t anything wrong with catching a few more hours of sleep. And hey, maybe when he wakes up he will be human again.

He lifts his head and pulls his blanket down from his bed and onto his back, a content noise rumbling in the back of his throat from the pleasant warmth of the sunshine filling his room and the blanket. His eyelids droop and he doesn’t bother trying to suppress a yawn as he drops his head back down onto his paws.

 

\---

Bang bang bang.

Jesse is roused from his sleep from a series of loud and impatient knocks on his door. He blinks groggily and his ears perk up when he hears the muffled voice of Gabriel calling his name though the door.

Jesse’s reply gets stuck in his throat and he realizes that he’s still in his damn wolf form. A growl of frustration bubbles past his lips, he usually wasn’t stuck for this long.

His door make a shrill be-beep as it’s unlocked and Jesse looks up to see a very pissed off looking Gabriel whose eyes make a quick scan at height level then immediately fall to Jesse laying on the floor.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Gabriel crosses his arms, already looking 1000% done with the situation, “quit playing around and change back. I’ve been looking for you all goddamn morning.”

Jesse flashes a toothy grin up at him and pushes himself up onto his back legs and stands, looming over his commanding officer by a few inches, something he knew drove Gabriel absolutely fucking crazy, “Would that I could boss, but I seem to be having some troubles in that particular department. Do a guy a favor and scratch behind my ears? I’ve got the meanest itch that I could use some help getting at.”

Both the glare and smack over the back of his head, even though Gabriel almost has to stand on his toes to reach, is well expected and Jesse’s shoulders shake from laughter.

“Knock it off, are you fucking telling me that you missed training today because you shifted and rather than report to me to tell me you took a nap,” Gabriel snaps, looking every bit as bewildered as he was angry.

Jesse shrugs and gestures over to the biometric scanner, “Dang thing still doesn’t read these little beauties,” he flexes the pads of his paws for emphasis and Gabriel huffs, rolling his eyes but not contesting the point.

“Fine, then while you’re stuck like this we are going to the tech office and getting your paws registered on your scanner so that you don’t get locked in your own fucking room again,” Gabriel stepped back into the hallway and jerked his head for Jesse to follow him.

“We?” Jesse drops down on all fours and trots after his boss, falling in step with him.

Gabriel spares a glance down at him before looking ahead again, “Yes, we. Don’t think you’re off the hook from this morning. You are getting those training hours in even if I have to make a new regime specifically for your wolf form. To hell with what command says, this form is just as valuable to us as your usual useless ass.”

Jesse made an offended noise and bumped his shoulder against Gabe’s hip, “Hey now, you know my ass has never been useless,” he winks up at Gabe and wags his tail for emphasis, a triumphant grin spreading on his face when Gabe quickly looks away, a tinge of red on his cheeks. Success.

“Shut the hell up and keep walking,” Gabriel huffs out and picks up his pace, his heavy boots echoing with each step.

Jesse easily matches his pace, the wolfish grin not gone from his face as he shoots back, “Ah come now, you of all people should know I’m very good at multitasking. Walkin’ and talkin’ ain't no big deal.”

“I swear to god Jesse, I’ve never kicked a dog before but you’re making me think there might be a first time for everything,” Gabriel grinds out, his fists clenched at his sides. All that bravado might fool some people, but Jesse had been around the block with this man enough to know the difference between real threats and the man just trying to save face. No, if he actually meant it, he woulda been kicked by now.

They walk in silence for a minute or so, passing by the odd Overwatch member here and there and garnering some questioning looks. It wasn’t exactly a secret what Jesse was, at least not to Overwatch. The general public might be in the dark, but it was kinda difficult to keep something like being a lycan a secret from people he spends nearly every day of his life with. Plus his condition sure didn't do him any favors.

Jesse doesn’t take the time to try and analyze any of their looks, he is really only concerned with the man at his side at the moment, “Hey, Gabe, did you really mean that thing about my wolf form bein’ useful to the team? I mean I know I’m handy for recon when we’re out in bumfuck nowhere backwoods ‘n’ all, but you think there’s more to it?”

Gabriel considers for a moment before nodding and stopping at a door, swiping his hand over the bioscanner, then stepping through the door into the tech wing of the base, “When you’re like that, your strength matches even Reinhardt. Your incredible sense of smell and night vision are assets when doing recon in any environment, and you can still communicate. I see a lot of unused potential that I’m sure command would see if they got their heads out their asses for more than five goddamn minutes.”

Jesse barely avoids tripping over his own damn paws, the sheer truth in Gabe’s voice shocking him and making him misstep. He can’t miss the look that Gabriel gives him, probably wondering what the hell just made the massive wolf at his side to stumble like that. He is suddenly very grateful for his inability to blush currently.

He quickly tries to play off the slip-up by forcing out what he hoped was a normal sounding laugh, “Well shoot, if I didn’t know any better I woulda thought that was a compliment.”

Jesse smiles as Gabe rolls his eyes and stops once more, this time outside the door to the main tech office. He taps a few codes into the panel on the side of the door and waits until a short, shrill bzzt comes over the speaker.

“Reyes, sir, what can we do for you today,” a filtered voice asks and Jesse notices the small twitch on his boss’s face at the lack of his title from the techie. Idiot.

“Open the damn door, I’ve got Jesse McCree with me. We need to add a print to the bioscanner on his door.”

The door slides open a moment later with a quiet hiss and Jesse pads into the room, the new scents assaulting his nose. Sweat, coffee, burnt dust from uncleaned computer fans, they all come at his at once making Jesse scrunch up his nose before sneezing. He shakes his head once to clear his nose as he adjusts to the scents of the room and glances up to catch the almost amused look on Gabe’s face as the other man follows him into the room.

Now that they’re no longer walking, Jesse pushes himself back up onto his hind legs to get a proper look around the room. Techies sat tapping away at their computers, the room glowing with the faint blue of the holograms everywhere. One of the men pushes himself away from his monitor to come greet them.

David… Daniel? Something like that. He was one of the more attractive of their lab crew so he and Jesse had flirted a little here and there. Nothing serious per say, just a bit of fun, “Hey there partner, long time no see, eh? Too busy with your computers for little ol’ me, I see how it is.”

Daniel/Drew/whoever gave Jesse a not-so-subtle once over and it occurs to Jesse that Drew (Dylan?) has probably never seen him in his wolf form, “Well one tends to be busy when they get promoted to Tech Lead. Plus you’re a hard man to pin down.”

Jesse gives him a good-natured shrug and wink then holds up his paw, flexing the pads out just for show, “Think you can help a fella out and get these registered on the scanner in my room?”

Dylan (Darcey? Nah.) steps forward into Jesse’s space and examines his paw, taking the large thing in his hands and turning it over to get a closer look at it, probably, “Mm, might be a bit difficult. We managed for Winston, but when you get down to it a gorilla and a human’s hand aren't so different. You on the other hand,” the scientist looks up at Jesse, the red from the bandanna tied around Jesse’s large neck reflecting against the man’s glasses, “are quite unique.”

Before Jesse had a chance to respond to the obvious flirting, Gabriel snaps, “Quit wasting our time, figure something out and do it. We can’t spend all day in this damn lab.”

The scientist steps back, and Jesse catches the quick look of distaste he shoots at Gabe before it’s replaced by a placating smile, “Of course, sir, I’m sure we can figure it out. Wait here.”

Jesse drops back down onto all fours then sits back on his haunches, letting his head rest against Gabe’s hip. He feels a hand drift into his fur and idly scratch the top of his head and behind his ears, and Jesse’s eyes flutter shut from how nice it feels. He chalks up this affection from the older man as habit rather than anything else and pushes down that little hopeful part of him that wants it to be more. No, whatever relationship the two men have is strictly causal and that was for the better. Right?

A sudden loud bzzzt right against Jesse’s cheek startles him and sends him reeling back from Gabriel, his hackles rising in response as he tries to locate the source of the disturbance.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow then laughs, well and truly laughs, as he pulls out his phone from his pocket. It buzzes once again in his hand and he swipes his thumb over the screen and raises it to his ear with a concise, militant, “Reyes.” How he is able to pull that tone of voice off while still giving Jesse a judgmental, and dare he say it playful, look is beyond him. Jesse shakes his head, embarrassed from reacting so primally from a stupid phone going off against his ear. 

Gabriel’s face hardens and his eyes scan the room. He brushes past Jesse, briskly walking out of the room. Jesse huffs and looks around the room, his short attention span getting the better of him. He pushes himself back onto all fours and pads around the lab, nosing around the equipment and techies. Most of them either completely ignore him or shoot him cautionary glances. Rude.

He stops by the tech lead’s desk and gets a look at the cluttered desk. A file addressed to Dylan sat on his desk. Dylan Masterfeld. Right, right that’s his name. Jesse sits next to Dylan’s desk and watches him work, watches the complicated code on the screen grow line after line.

Dylan’s eyes keep flicking over to him, then back to the screen and Jesse does his damnedest to keep a smug grin off his face. He was clearly distracting the man from his work. It was almost sad how easy it was to get the techie’s attention, and Jesse recalled it hadn’t been near as easy during their last go around. No, something was definitely different and since Gabe had to step out and he is like 90% of Jesse’s impulse control, the half-baked plan floats in his mind for only a second before he enacts it.

Jesse pushes himself up and onto his back legs, rising up to his full height. Dylan’s eyes track the whole movement before flicking back to the screen. Jesse places a paw on his desk and leans on it, his tail making lazy strokes behind him. Only the slight tensing of his shoulders give anything away in Dylan’s body language, good for him.

“Hey, I just wanted to say how real thankful I am that you’re takin’ care of this for me. Should have gotten it done sooner, but you know how it is, runnin’ around this place like a turkey on Thanksgivin’,” he let his accent drawl a little more than he usually did.

Dylan nods, resolutely not looking away from his work and showing no change in his body language, “It’s what we do here. Though Reyes was in a mood,” he grumbles.

Alright, so it wasn’t the accent. Check that off the list.

Jesse shifts his weight so that he’s leaning a little closer this time, edging into Dylan’s personal space. Dylan’s eyes track the shift, just like he had when Jesse stood. Interesting.

He fixes Dylan with an easy smile, turning up his natural charm just a bit, “Well now you know how he can be, bein’ in charge of us can be a bit like heardin’ cats. He just wants this done and over with so we can get back on schedule.” Jesse chuckles and gestures to the complicated bits of machinery spread out on Dylan’s desk, “But I’m sure you know how that goes, being the big man in charge here.”

Dylan puffs up a bit at the comment, sitting straighter and shifting in his seat so that he’s facing Jesse more. Open posture, feet pointed towards Jesse, arms uncrossed and one draped leisurely on his office chair’s armrest, Jesse could read his body language like a goddamn book.

“Heh, yeah it can get pretty hectic in here but what can I say,” Dylan looks up, letting his eyes travel the length of Jesse’s body before reaching his eyes and making direct eye contact with Jesse, his gaze unwavering with some inner bout of confidence, “I like a challenge.”

Oh.

A firm hand locking down on Jesse’s shoulder cuts off any retort he could have had, if he had one that is. He gets forcefully spun around and is face to face with a not-so-pleased looking Gabriel Reyes. Jesse puts on his best you-know-you-love-me-don’t-kill-me face and drawls out, “Gaaabe, hey, didn’t hear you come back in. I take it the call went well, you know you look just as radiant as the noon day sun-”

“Can it, McCree,” Gabe snaps. 

Yikes, he really was up to his knees in it of Gabriel was just using his last name. Jesse almost keeps going, but thinks better of it and instead offers a good-natured shrug and steps away from Dylan’s desk, throwing the other man under the bus that is Gabriel Reyes.

Gabriel narrows in on Dylan, the techie’s posture tensing up and shifting back to the cold and professional facade he had before, “If you’re quite done flirting with my subordinate instead of doing your damn job, I’d like to get this done and get out of this cesspit you call a work environment.”

Jesse muffles his short snort of laughter. Gabe calling this place a cesspit was hilarious to him. This place was a luxury class cruise liner compared to some of the shit holes they had worked out of for their Blackwatch Ops. It was a scare tactic, his entire act right then. Useful for humiliating and demoralizing someone found stepping outside their bonds within their own space, and from the change in Dylan’s attitude, Gabe had hit deep.

Jesse didn’t catch the mumbled response, too busy looking around the room to catch the eyes of nearly every techie in the lab. They really were horrible at hiding their eavesdropping. Right then Jesse missed his hat sorely purely for the missed chance of making eye contact and tipping it at every person he saw watching their little show just to tell them they’d been caught.

The rest of their time in the lab was uneventful as far as Jesse was concerned. It only took another five minutes to put the tech together to scan his print, and another five to make sure the print worked and was properly registered in the system.

Just as they confirm the print was good to go, Gabriel catches Dylan by the sleeve and tells him something under his breath. The chattering of the other lab workers around Jesse makes him miss what was actually said, but he got the full view of the reactions. Gabe’s face has just a hint of smugness and while Dylan’s face stayed even, but Jesse saw the anger and jealousy in his eyes. Interesting.

Gabriel steps back from Dylan and walks back to Jesse, the lab workers falling silent and parting for the imposing man, “Come on, you have training you need to make up.” He walks from the room and Jesse is left to look over to Dylan and give a little salute. He drops down on all fours and follows Gabe from the lab.

Once he caught up to the man, he looks up at him, “What did you say to Dylan back there? He looked like he had hell in his eyes from whatever you told him.”

A full smug smile spread on Gabriel’s face, “I told him to be sure that your print got added to my door as well just in case you needed to leave during the night.”

“Hoo boy, you did not,” Jesse laughs, grinning like a fool, “well that sure explains his reaction. That is downright low Gabriel Reyes, but seven hells that’s funny.”

Gabe chuckles and shrugs and Jesse marvels at how proud of himself this man is, and how relaxed he looks, “That little shit got what was coming to him. But don’t think you’re clear of blame, I saw you using those damn body language tricks against him.”

“They are not tricks, they are observations. Just because I learned how to tell the difference between someone wanting to kill me and someone wanting to kiss me back in Deadlock doesn’t mean I can’t apply them now.”

Gabe shakes his head and drops a hand onto Jesse’s head, roughly ruffling his fur. Jesse leans up into the touch, his tongue flopping out of the side of his mouth in content.

The affection doesn’t last long, but it warms Jesse all the same. He trots happily next to Gabe, walking the length of the base to the training deck. If he’s honest with himself, he’s a bit worried about being stuck for this long. His record before was three hours, but considering he’s going on six there’s a little voice in the back of his head yelling at him to take this more seriously.

Gabe stops and swipes his hand over a bioscanner, the double door to the training deck slides open. They walk in and Gabriel puts his hands on his hips, “You ready, mutt?”

Jesse huffs. Mutt, is it? Oh now that is not just going to go unanswered. Jesse pushes himself back up onto his hind legs, gaining his slight height advantage and using it to loom over his boss, “Depends, you think you got a course challenging enough for me?”

Gabe narrows his eyes, his brow twitching in annoyance like always when Jesse uses his height like this, “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

Gabriel steps into Jesse’s space so that the two men were nearly chest to chest, waiting to see which one would blink first. The stared each other off for a second before Gabriel broke the silence, “Go on soldier, or do I have to throw a ball and get you to fetch before we start?”

\---  
Jesse collapses on the ground at Gabriel’s feet, panting heavily. His legs are jelly, his chest burns as he tries to pull in enough oxygen, and his fur is so matted with sweat that he’s sure he will have to groom and bathe for hours just to get everything back in place. Gabe laughs and squats next to him, cocking his head, “What, is the pup tired?”

“Fuck… you,” Jesse grits out between pants, more concerned with getting enough air over some witty comeback.

Gabe pats his head and grins, “Aw, was that too much for our resident big bad wolf.”

Damned if Jesse has ever heard a more mocking tone in the older man’s voice than right now. A snapshot idea forms and before his impulse control can pull the reins back Jesse surges up and licks a stripe up the side of Gabriel’s face, ignoring the protests from his muscles.

“Sonofabitch,” Gabriel rears back and wipes at his face but the motion knocks him off balance as he falls back and lands on his ass. 

There’s a solid two second where the two men look at each other in shocked silence. Gabe’s shoulders hunch in what looks like an effort to hold back laughter and Jesse can’t help a little snort as he tries his damnedest not to laugh at his boss, one of the scariest people he has ever had the misfortune of working under, sit on the floor flat on his ass because Jesse licked him.

The snort breaks whatever self control Gabe has as the two of them erupt into booming laughter. Jesse curls in on himself, his sides heaving and the sounds of their laughter echoing around the otherwise empty training hall.

Once they get get themselves back under control, Gabe stands and motions for Jesse to do so as well a warm smile on his face, “Come on, let’s grab something from the kitchen”

“Well shoot, you know that’s the way straight to my heart,” Jesse quips back as he pushes himself onto all fours, basking only a little in Gabe’s open smile.

“Funny, I was under the impression I was already there. Now get a move on, I’m starving,” Gabe throws over his shoulder as he leaves the training room.

Jesse just stands there, his jaw open and unable to move as he analyzes that last throwaway comment over and over, the gears in his mind stuttering to a halt. Well shit, he really was in deep.

Jesse shakes his head and bounds to catch up with the man, who looks for all the world like he hadn’t just made Jesse’s entire world narrow down to one moment and one comment and one smile.

It’s a relatively short jaunt down to the kitchen from the training hall that they make in companionable silence. Jesse keeps thinking back to Gabe’s comment, letting it rattle around in his mind and drive him nuts because it’s true. It’s damn true and Jesse doesn’t know what he hates more: that he didn’t realize it sooner, or that Gabe already has him so figured out.

Gabe swipes his hand over the bioscanner and shoulders open the door to the kitchen and holds it open for Jesse. 

Jesse grins and tips his head, “Why thank you, partner.”

Yeah, that sounds like a normal response, Jesse has to reason to himself. 

He resolves to figure out his feeling more later, focusing instead on the wonderful scents of stir-fry wafting through the kitchen. He pushes himself up onto his back legs and sees Genji at the stovetop, tossing in some pineapple to the wok.

“Hey there Genj, whatever that is you’re makin’ smells mighty fine,” he walks over and leans over Genji’s shoulder to get a closer look. Genji’s tossing about a single portion around and gives Jesse a knowing look, even through his visor.

“I know what you’re thinking, I could hear your stomach the second you walked in. No way cowboy, get your own. I requested specific ingredients for this dish and I know how much you can eat when you’re a wolf,” Genji puts a hand on his hip and leaves one hand protectively on the handle of the wok.

“Come now partner, only a bite I swear then I’ll be out of what’s left of your hair no sweat,” Jesse pleads, his stomach growling once more.

Without breaking what is probably eye contact, Genji reaches over the the fruit bowl on the counter next to him, grabs a handful of grapes, and tosses them into the wok.

Jesse drops his head back and whines, trying to ignore Gabriel’s muffled laughter behind him, “Now that just ain't fair.”

Genji shrugs and Jesse can feel the smug smile hidden behind the visor, “Tough, try the pantry, I think there might be some dog food,” he laughs and Jesse punches him in the shoulder, laughing along with him. Damn that was a good one, he’ll admit.

After some rifling through the pantry, the fridge, and various cupboards, Jesse plops down on the barstool at the island in the center of the kitchen with a jar of peanut butter and a beer. Gabe sets down his protein bar and apple and raises an eyebrow at Jesse’s questionable meal choice, “Is that really all you’re going to eat?”

Jesse clamps his teeth down on the lid of the peanut butter and spins the jar to unscrew it. He spits the lid onto the counter and examines the mostly empty jar, “I get weird cravings like this, and nothing else really sounded good.”

Gabe rolls his eyes and bites his apple, and Jesse can feel his eyes on him as he tries to figure out how to eat this damn peanut butter without it getting everywhere. There’s no putting it back, he had committed. He settles for holding the jar between his two front paws and licking the peanut butter out from the jar. This is his now.

He has to stop occasionally when he feels peanut butter get smeared onto his muzzle when he sticks it too far into the jar. Getting peanut butter unstuck from the roof of his mouth is a whole other ordeal too, and he has never really felt more like an actual dog than when he has to put the now-empty jar down and repeatedly smack his tongue to the roof of his mouth to try and get at the peanut butter stuck there.

By the end of it Genji is holding his sides from laughing so hard, and Gabe is chuckling quietly at the sight, “Yeah, alright I get it, let’s make fun of the guy who can’t eat peanut butter like a normal person,” he says with a good natured huff.

Genji calms down and motions to his friend, “Jesse, I don’t know if you hadn’t noticed but, ah, you happen not to be a normal person right now.”

“Hate to break it to you kid, but Shimada’s right. This may come as a shock, I know-”

“Kindly fuck off Gabe,” Jesse laughs and punches him on the shoulder. If the level of causal interaction between the two of them surprises Genji at all, he doesn’t show it which Jesse appreciates.

Gabe chuckles and reaches over, grabbing Jesse’s beer and popping the cap for him and setting it back in front of the man, “Saving you the trouble of staring at it like a moron for five minutes trying to figure out how to open it.”

“Heh, much obliged,” Jesse nods at his boss and picks up the bottle between his two paws. It takes some work, but he’s eventually able to figure out a good angle to be able to tip the beer back without it spilling all over him and the kitchen floor.

He’s on his third swig when he feels a sudden familiar tingle travel up his spine. He gasps and sputters on his beer, spitting what was in his mouth across the table as the bottle drops out of his hands and shatters on the tiled floor. He’s given another second to stumble off the barstool, cutting the pads of his feet on the glass in the process, before he forcefully shifts back to his human form.

The world shifts around him. The colors brighten, the scents recede, and the sounds dim. He stands in the middle of the kitchen shaking, blood pooling around his cut-up feet, and wearing nothing but his bandanna around his neck and the skin-tight bodysuit he always wears for just such occasions.

Jesse looks down at his hands and feels pure relief at seeing flesh, not fur, “Well it’s about time.”

“Genji, go grab Angela. This idiot just stepped in a metric shitton of glass and might need stitches,” Gabriel orders and carefully stands and steps around the glass as he makes his way over to Jesse.

“On it,” Genji salutes and runs from the kitchen.

“Come here, idiot,” Gabe says fondly when he gets to Jesse and pulls the younger man into his chest and presses a kiss to the top of his head, “It’s good to see you back to normal.”

Jesse flushes and wraps his arms around Gabe’s waist, “Didn’t take you for the sentimental type.”

Gabe pulls back and cocks his head, a small fond smile on his face, “Let’s just say I’ve decided to be a bit more open with my emotions,” he leans down and captures Jesse’s lips in a deep kiss, which has the younger man melting in his grasp, the pain in his feet easily forgotten.


End file.
